Posted By Bridgette Meinhold On June 12, 2009 @ 10:43 am In Architecture,Green Building,New York City | 20 Comments

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Fast Food Nation meets Shipping Container Nation in a brilliant concept that not only looks amazing, but probably tastes just as good. The Müvbox[2] is a new concept, which recently emerged from Montreal, Canada and is a shipping container that opens up into a full-fledged mobile, outdoor fast food restaurant. Think Adam Kalkin’s Push Button House[3] with a gourmet kitchen inside and a fabulous graphic paint job. Oh, and they serve local lobster from the Magdalen Islands[4].

Daniel Noiseux[5], owner of well-known Montreal Pizzaiolle[6] restaurants, placed his first concept restaurant at the Old Port in Montreal [7]and is serving fresh, local and gourmet food at reasonable prices. The fact that his Müvbox[2] is portable means he can pick it up and take it anywhere he wants – an outdoor festival, a new venue, a convention. But what we really like about it is with a push of a button, the restaurant goes from closed as tight as a drum to deployed in 1.5 minutes, and with only 3-4 employees the restaurant can be fully open and running in 15 minutes. At the end of the night, take down is just as simple, and all is safe and contained inside.

Müvbox is constructed from a standard 20-foot shipping container and has been retrofitted with a modern kitchen and seating for 28 people. Solar panels[8] on the roof generate 40% of the restaurants energy needs, and most likely the remaining 60% comes from propane to fuel the kitchen appliances. The shipping container[9] is reused and the floor is made from recycled tires[10]. The menu is primarily local, healthy, and fresh, serving local delicacies like, Îles-de-la-Madeleine lobster, Brome Lake duck and Bilboquet ice cream.

Noiseux wants to expand this concept beyond his own restaurant into other local eateries around the world – possibly cupcakes in London, ptarmigan in Reykjavik, sushi in Japan, pizza in New York. But he also thinks that the concept is applicable for other types of businesses, since the shipping containers are completely customizable. We think it is a stellar idea, beautifully executed and refreshingly mouthwatering. In fact, we think we need a field trip to Montreal to sample the goods.